Origin, Meaning, Family History and Bamford Coat of Arms and Family Crest

Bamford Origin:

England

Origins of Bamford:

This name is of English geographical origin from either one of two areas thus called as Bamford in Derbyshire and Lancashire. One is listed as Banford in The Domesday Book of 1086 and as Bamford in the 1228 document of that division, acquires its name from the Old English pre 7th Century “beam” which means a beam, light, and ford, which means a fordhence. So, the whole meanings of the name are “river ford with a beam (or footbridge).” The next is noted as Baunford in the 1282 “Fine Court Rolls of Lancashire” and as Bamford in 1322 called from the similar components. The land of Bamford in Lancashire was given to Thomas de Bamford by Sir Adam de Bury near the year 1216. According to the different dialectal spellings of the name are Banford, William Banford being noted at the parish of St. Mary Whitechapel in December 1664, Bunniford also appeared in London at the same time and Bunford, which may acquire from either Banford or Bunniford. In September 1820, Sarah Bunford, daughter of Thomas, named at St. Leonards Parish, Shoreditch. The name shows as Bunford, Banford, Bamford, Bamforth and Baumford in the 1379 “Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire.”

Variations:

England:

The origins of the surname Bamford appeared in Cheshire where people held a family seat from early times. Some say better before the success of Normans and the entrance of Duke William at Hastings 1066 A.D.

The very first recording spelling of the family was shown to be that of William de Bamford, dated about 1228, in the “Pipe Rolls of Suffolk.” It was during the time of King Henry III who was known to be the “The Frenchman,” dated 1216 – 1272. The origin of surnames during this period became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation. It came to be known as Poll Tax in England.

Ireland:

Many of the people with name Bamford had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States of America:

Individuals with the surname Bamford landed in the United States in three different centuries respectively in the 17th 19th, and 20th. Some of the people with the name Bamford who arrived in the United States in the 17th century included John Bamford, who settled in Virginia in 1624. John Bamford who settled in Jamaica in 1685.

People with the surname Bamford who landed in the United States in the 19th century included G C Bamford, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851.

The following century saw much more Bamford surnames arrive. Some of the people with the surname Bamford who arrived in the United States in the 20th century included Fredk. G. Bamford, aged 18, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship “Adriatic” from Liverpool, England. Alexander F. Bamford at the age of 19, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 from London, England. Harold Bamford arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship “Baltic” from Liverpool via Halifax. Walter Bamford arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship “Brazos” from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Phode Bamford at the age of 51, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship “Brazos” from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Australia:

Some of the individuals with the surname Bamford who landed in Australia in the 19th century included William Bamford, an English prisoner from Lancaster, who shifted aboard the “America” in April 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Bamford: England 6,109; United States 2,579; Australia 1,937; Canada 1,116; South Africa 968; Ghana 479; Germany 370; New Zealand 364; Wales 361; Scotland 348.

Notable People:

Brian Bamford (born 1935), is an English golf player.

Edward Bamford was a British Captain in World War I who received the Victoria Cross.

Frank Ellis Bamford (1865-1932), was an American Army general.

Gord Bamford was a country musician.

Harry Bamford (1920–1958), was an English football player who played for Bristol Rovers.

Bamford Coat of Arms Meaning

The two main devices (symbols) in the Bamford blazon are the cross crosslet fitchee and fesse wavy. The two main tinctures (colors) are gules and argent.

The bold red colour on a heraldic shield is known as gules. It has a long history within heraldry, it is known that one of those who besieged the scottish castle of Carlaverock in 1300 was the French knight Euremions de la Brette who had as his arms a simple red shield.1The Siege of Carlaverock, N. Harris, Nichols & Son, London, 1828, P180. The word gules is thought to come from the Arabic gule, or “red rose” 2Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 313. Later writers associated it with the precious stone ruby and the metal iron3Understanding Signs & Symbols – Heraldry, S. Oliver & G. Croton, Quantum, London, 2013, P53, perhaps because of the red glow of iron in the heat of the blacksmith’s forge.

Argent is the heraldic metal Silver and is usually shown as very pure white. It is also known more poetically as pearl, moon (or luna) 4Understanding Signs & Symbols – Heraldry, S. Oliver & G. Croton, Quantum, London, 2013, P53. In a sketch or drawing it is represented by plain, unmarked paper 5A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1847, P11.

No other symbol appearing in heraldry is subject to as much variation as the cross6Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 47. Mediaeval Europe was a deeply religious and Christian and many of the nobility wanted to show their devotion by adopting the symbol of the cross as part of the arms. Since no two arms could be identical there arose many variants of the cross. The cross crosslet is one of these, having an additional cross bar on each arm. 7A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Cross Crosslet Wade suggests that these additional crossing signify “the fourfold mystery of the Cross”. 8The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P103 The final addition fitchee simply means pointed, and indicates that the lower end is pointed, as if it is to be struck into the ground. 9A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Fitché

The fesse is a broad horizontal band across the centre of the shield, in very ancient times it was said to occupy one third of the area height of the shield 10A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P117, however it soon became somewhat narrower. This created an opportunity to add decorative edging to the band, of many forms, and to very pleasing artisitic effect, at least close up – it must be admitted that at distance some of the forms are hard to distinguish! The decorative edge pattern Wavy, sometimes written as undy is, for obvious reasons, associated with both water and the sea 11The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P40. Indeed, a roundel with alternating bars of azure and argent (blue and white) is known by the shorthand term fountain, representing water at the bottom of a well 12A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Water. Other colours have also been used and the result can be very pleasing to the eye.